A Dandelion in the Spring
by CrazyHalf-Blood31
Summary: In present day New York, a family longs for their child, a seventeen year old girl named Catherine Montgomery. In the fictional world of the Hunger Games, Catherine is dealing with worse problems. Peeta/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Greetings! So, I swore to myself that I would write a Hunger Games fanfic before March 23rd, which is approaching at rapid pace. Well, here it is! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games.**

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><p><strong>A Dandelion in the Spring - Chapter One<strong>

The sky is dreary and grey when I leave school, opening my umbrella lazily. Hurriedly, I walk down the sidewalk, sweeping past men and women in business suits, shielding their heads with this morning's copy of different newspapers, heading home from work.

When I get to the train station, I nearly run underground, far away from the noise of the heavy rain and busy streets. The sound of a violin reaches my ears, and I feel my body relax as I swipe my card through a scanner. Once I get to where my train will stop, I open my copy of The Hunger Games, frowning at the lack of effort I have been putting into rereading the series before the movie is released.

Gently, I turn to the third page, the page where an amazing story begun.

_When I wake up, the other side of my bed is cold. My fingers stretch out, seeking Prim's warmth but finding only the rough canvas cover of the mattress..._

I begin to hear the screech of a train reaching the station, but I am so absorbed in the book that I barely notice. Slowly, I stand and walk towards the dingy yellow platform.

Just as the train reaches the man merely a yard down the platform from myself, a force pushes me forward, straight into the face of the incoming D train.

Pain.

That is the thing that makes me panic. I'm panicking because I don't feel it. When I wake up, all I feel is that odd feeling of falling that you get from dreams.

"Catherine?" A voice asks, the voice belongs to a girl, this girl sounds afraid. Why is she afraid? Is the sight of my mangled body too much to bear?

"Catherine? Are you awake?" She repeats, and I notice that it was not fear, but worry, hiding in the undertone of her voice.

Carefully, I sit up, turning my head to see who the voice belongs to. It is a girl. This girl looks around my age. She has black hair which stands out in the vast white of the room. She has olive skin and her grey eyes look too old to fit into her young body.

"Yes." I say. Squinting slightly because her features seem oh so familiar.

_Typical Seam look._ I think, quoting The Hunger Games. This is something my friends say about me. My friends who share the same love for The Hunger Games as I do. My friends who want to be the children of merchants in the town in District 12, unlike me. I have the same looks as Katniss and Gale.

"Good." The girl says, scooting her chair a bit closer to my bed.

"You look... familiar. Do I know you?" I ask.

Now the girl is smiling, which in no way looks like it is familiar to her features. "No. No, you don't know me. Or maybe you do. My name is Katniss Everdeen."

"Yes. Of course." I murmur. _Oh how I've wished for this. _I think, recalling the many times I have wished to live in the world of The Hunger Games. _I suppose the odds are in my favor._

"Okay. So, where am I?" I ask.

"Well, it's a bit hard to explain. You're from District 8, right?" Katniss asks.

"Um..." I murmur, thinking. _District Eight. Textiles. The first rebellion. I was put there when I signed up for Panem citizenship! _

"Yeah, District 8. How did you know?" I ask, knitting my eyebrows together.

"Your citizenship card. It was lying in the snow next to you when we found you in the outskirts of District 12. That's how we found out your name, too." She says.

"We?" I ask, knitting my brows together.

"My film crew and I." She says.

"Hm. And my bag? Where is it now?" I ask.

"It's over there." Katniss says, pointing to something behind me. "We haven't looked through it, don't worry. Although we did notice the Mockingjay on the outside of it."'

_Of course! My Mockingjay bag! They know I'm on their side! _"Yeah." I say. "I'm completely on your side."

"Great, now, back to what I was saying. You're in District Thirteen." Says Katniss, waiting for my reaction.

I blink.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

"So it _does _exist?" I ask, barely able to contain my excitement.

"Yes, actually. It does." She says.

_Hey, I'm not in a high school of the arts for nothing. You cannot risk any suspicion. Time to be an awesome actress. _"I can't believe it! At first, my friend, Bonnie, told me, but I didn't believe her, and then the Capitol bombed our district. She came to my house and told me about some Mockingjay that was always in the corner of the screen when they showed the ruins of District 13, and how she was going to leave to get there! Is she here? Did she make it?" I ask, making my voice a bit higher than usual.

A frown passes over Katniss' features. "You know Bonnie and Twill?" She asks.

I smile. "Yes, Bonnie was- is one of my best friends. Twill, she's my teacher. You know them? I'm not trying to be rude, but can you send for them, please, when you leave?""

Katniss glances down as if she can't bear to look at me. "I'm sorry, Catherine, but, I don't think they made it. There's been no sign of them here. I asked around. No one knows them."

I let the smile melt from my face. "O-oh, um. Okay." I murmur. I always did feel bad, knowing that Bonnie and Twill never made it to District Thirteen. I felt bad, using them as help in lowering anyone's suspicion of me.

"I met them in the outskirts of my district. I helped them a bit. Gave them food, taught Twill how to hunt. I'm sorry." Katniss says, trying to help the fake me.

"Y-you did?" I sniffle a bit. "Bonnie- she always told me about how much she looked up to you. How you were the perfect Mockingjay. The rebellion starter. Katniss Everdeen, the girl on fire." I say, rubbing at my eyes a bit.

Katniss moves her hand and awkwardly pats my shoulder. "I really am sorry." She murmurs, standing up. "Follow me. I'll show you to your quarters." She says, holding her hand out to me.

I latch on to her hand and let her help me off the bed. Then I walk over to the table where my things are. My bag still has the Hunger Games trilogy in it. The other two books are there because I had just gotten them back from a friend. It also contains my sketchbook, notebook, wallet, pencil case, and phone.

My knitted beanie is next to my bag, the faded grey and orange yarn seems dingy next to the white of the table. It is there along with my brown leather jacket. My umbrella is nowhere to be found, but I don't mind. My worn out brown leather combat boots sit neatly next to each other beneath the table. I am still dressed in my dark blue skinny jeans and red and black plaid flannel shirt.

Calmly, I slip into my boots, my bright yellow socks seem too bright, and they hurt my eyes. I stuff my hat into my bag, and sling the army green messenger over my shoulder.

"Ready?" Katniss asks.

I nod. "Ready.

Katniss motions for me to follow her, and I stand behind her, feeling far out of place in this fictional world.


	2. Chapter 2

**A Dandelion in the Spring-Chapter 2**

_Katniss motions for me to follow her, and I stand behind her, feeling far out of place in this fictional world._

Katniss presses a button next to what appears to be a door frame, and leads me out of the boring white room.

"This is the hospital wing." She says. "It's one of the deepest levels. All the sleeping quarters are higher."

I nod, too fascinated with the scene around me to really pay attention.

"Katniss!" A voice says, and we both whip our heads around to see a girl our age, with curled yellowish hair, unlike Katniss and I, with straight black hair pulled into a braid. Her head is poking out of a room we just passed, where I noticed Katniss stiffen a bit.

"Oh, hi Delly." Katniss says, attempting a smile.

_Delly__ Cartwright. Pasty faced girl with curly yellowish hair. District 12 citizen. Daughter of shoe merchants. Her and her brother survived the bombings. Her parents did not. _I recall Delly from Mockingjay, a friend of Peetas.

Delly leaves the room, telling someone she'll be right back. She walks up to us, smiling. "Who's this?" She asks.

"Delly, this is Catherine Montgomery. She's a runaway from Eight. Catherine, this is Delly Cartwright, my-" Katniss hesitates. "friend. From District 12."

I give Delly a smile. "It's nice to meet you, Delly." I say, holding my hand out, which she shakes happily.

"It's nice to meet you too, Catherine." She says. I like this girl. Her bubbly personality reminds me of my friend, Kayly. "So what are you guys up to?" She asks.

"I was just taking Catherine to her quarters. In fact," Katniss says, pulling a piece of paper from her pocket. "I think you two have the same room. 305, right?" She asks Delly.

"Yeah, looks like we're roommates, Catherine!" Delly says.

I smile. At least I won't be with some total stranger. "Yeah, that's great."

Katniss checks the time on her watch and frowns. "Hey, Delly, do you mind showing Catherine around? When you're done um-" She pauses. "visiting? I have to be at Command in a few." She says.

"Oh, sure, Katniss, no problem." Delly says.

"Thanks so much, I'll see you guys later." Katniss says, walking away from us. I feel a little disappointed. I was looking forward to getting to know Katniss.

"So, Catherine, follow me." Delly says, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Uh, sure." I say. We're walking back towards the room she came out of, and If I'm guessing correctly...

Delly stops at the door, and turns around to me. "Catherine, you know who Peeta Mellark is, right?" She asks.

My heart nearly stops. I was right. I am about to meet the love of my fictional life. I nod.

Delly smiles. "Well, he's a bit-" She pauses. "confused right now, and I've been helping him understand some things. So don't be scared when you come in."

I nod again as she opens the door. _That's right. Peeta got hijacked._

When I walk in, his striking blue eyes lock onto me almost instantly. "What is _she _doing here?" He hisses. _Oh, yeah. I look like Katniss._

Delly walks up closer to him. I linger by the door. "Peeta, this is Catherine Montgomery, not Katniss. Catherine is a runaway from District Eight." She says, trying to calm him.

I bet I look terrified, but I can't break eye contact with him. "Hi." I murmur.

"Hi." He says, still not taking his eyes off me.

I relax as Delly tells me to sit down, so I do, breaking eye contact with Peeta. I place my bag on my lap, awkwardly shuffling through my things while the two of them talk.

I pull out a pencil and my sketchbook, trying to think of something to draw. I begin to sketch things I know from home. My school, friends, family, books, trees, buildings.

"Can I see that?" His voice snaps me out of my reverie.

I glance at him, wondering if he's actually talking to me. "Uh, sure." I say, placing my sketchbook in his outstretched fingers.

"These are nice." He murmurs, flipping through. "The scenery, it doesn't look like District Eight though. Buildings there- they aren't that high." He looks up at me, suspicion lingering in his blue eyes.

I rack my brain for answers. _What does New York City look the most like here? _"The Capitol. I was drawing places in the Capitol." I say.

"How do you know what the Capitol looks like?" He asks.

My heart is pounding now. "I'm a designer. I have to visit the Capitol sometimes to show my designs to the CEO of the company I work for." I say.

"A designer? You must be paid a lot." He says.

"Not really. The government in Eight, it's corrupt. They send my pay check to the government to give to me. The Mayor takes out a lot of money, then gives the rest to me. I can-" I pause. "could barely hold up my family. I did quite a few illegal things there. Had to sign up for lots of tesserae, too."_ No wonder why I have A's in improv class._

"Hm." He says, handing the book back to me. "You're a lot like Katniss, you know."

"Am I?" I ask. "I never noticed." I murmur. _Although you do notice. Even your friends call you Katniss._

I take the book in my hands, and slip it back into my bag.

"You're nice." He says.

I look up at him. "Excuse me?" I ask.

He smiles, actually _ smiles_ at me, and says, "I said, you're nice."

"Oh, um. Thanks." I murmur.

Then him and Delly start talking again. A little while later, when it's time to leave, I follow Delly to the door, and say goodbye to Peeta.

Just as we are walking out, he calls out. "Hey, Delly?"

Delly pokes her head back into the room. "Yeah?" She asks.

Peeta smiles. "Can you arrange for Catherine to come visit me too?" He asks, looking at me now instead of Delly.

Delly smiles. "Sure." She says, and then she closes the door.


	3. Chapter 3

**A Dandelion in the Spring - Chapter 3**

_Peeta smiles. "Can you arrange for Catherine to come visit me too?" He asks, looking at me now instead of Delly._

_Delly smiles. "Sure." She says, and then she closes the door._

Delly and I walk away from Peeta's room, talking about little things. Friends, hobbies, favorite colors, and talents. We stay off the topic of home, though, for good reason. I show her my sketchbook, pointing out my friends who I know to still be alive, my family, who I hope are still alive, and places. I also tell her about how my father died in a "factory accident." That wasn't entirely a lie. My father died in 9/11. I don't try to think about it much.

I learn a lot about Delly. She grew up with her parents and brother in the town, and always felt bad for those who lived in the Seam. Her favorite color is red, and she knows how to be serious when needed. She's 17, so she, Peeta, Katniss and I are the same age. She also tells me things I already know, things about her and Peeta's friendship, and she shows me the schedule on her arm. She is almost an exact replica of Kayly, my friend. They have the same blonde hair, the same brown eyes.

"So, what other hidden talents do you have?" She asks as we board the elevator.

"Um. I sing, act and I can play the guitar, piano, and chello." I say, scratching the back of my head. "Oh!" I say, tapping my chin in thought. "And I can whistle."

"Well then, I am officially jealous." Delly says. "You can afford all those instruments, and you have all these talents, and I can't do anything."

"Well, I don't really buy the instruments." I say, frowning. "My company gives them to me as gifts. I've tried to sell them for more money to provide for my mother and sister, but whenever I do, my mother has a fit. Her parents owned a music shop when she was younger." I murmur as we stop on our floor.

Delly leaves the elevator, and I follow right behind her. "You're really are a lot like Katniss." She says.

I tilt my head slightly. "How so?" I ask.

Delly smiles. "Well, except for the fact that you look exactly alike," I snort at that. "Your stories are alike. Signing up for loads of tesserae, illegally hunting in the outskirts of your district, taking care of you mother and sister. It's weird." She says.

I shrug. "Small similarities." I murmur, walking alongside her.

"Small? Let me guess, when you hunt, you hunt with a bow and arrow." She says, rolling her eyes.

I pout in defeat. "Yes." I say. Once again, not a total lie. I used to hunt with my Dad, with a bow and arrow. I'm pretty good at it. Kept practicing after he was gone.

Delly grins. "I thought so." She says, pushing open the door to a room labeled "**Compartment**** 305. Occupants: Delly Cartwright, Nathan Cartwright, Catherine Montgomery.**"

"Don't worry, those similarities may get you called to Command some day for a super secret mission." She says, smiling. "Now, welcome to cozy old room 305."

I walk in, trying to absorb this new found information. The entire room is painted plain white, and the beds are the same boring brown color. It's obvious that Delly had tried to make the room more colorful, by adding dark blue sheets on the beds, but it was in vain. The room still looks boring as ever.

"Cozy..." I mutter.

Delly smiles, and points to the bed on the far left. "That's your bed. I sleep on the middle one, and Nathan sleeps on the other one." She says. "Make yourself at home."

I place my bag on my bed, and fall, face-down, onto it. "I'm SO TIRED." I groan.

Delly laughs, and sits on her bed. "Your uniforms should be here by the time we get back from dinner later." She says.

_Ugh. That's right. I have to wear those ugly uniforms now. _I think, frowning as I roll over onto my back. "Ew_, uniforms. _Gross." I say, staring at the ceiling.

I sit up, and look at Delly, who's smiling. _She smiles a lot. _I think. "It's not that bad here." She says. "You'll get used to it."

I smile back weakly. "I hope so."

Delly and I spend the rest of our time talking. She think's I'm funny, I think she's kind, and we both think that we get along pretty well. About twenty minutes later, she leaves the room to get Nathan from the school floor.

I finally manage to get a good look at myself in the mirror in our small bathroom. My face looks awful, and my makeup is all smudged, so I wash it off, feeling a bit cleaner. Until I shower later, I don't feel very comfortable in my clothes. They are still a bit damp from the rain back in New York, and I suddenly realize that district thirteen could possibly lie under the ruins of my old city.

Suddenly feeling sick, I leave the bathroom to organize the small amount of belongings I have. I carefully wrap my jacket around the Hunger Games Trilogy. These books are more important than ever before. They'll tell me what will happen in the next few months. I place the books in the dresser that Delly had assigned to me, along with the rest of my things.

I shove the drawer closed with my hip just as the door opens. I turn around, and Delly walks in. A boy with her features, who must be about twelve, trails in behind her.

Delly pulls the boy from behind her. "Catherine, this is Nathan, my brother. Nathan, this is Catherine. She's living with us now." She says.

"Hi." He says, looking up at me, and then down, blushing.

I smile. "Hi, it's nice to meet you." I say, holding out my hand.

He shakes my hand shyly, whispers something to Delly, and shuffles of to his bed.

I shrug, and plop down onto my bed.

Delly sits next to me, and we stay quiet for a moment.

I break the silence. "Hey, Finnick Odair is here, right? I remember that he got picked up during the Quell, too." I say, looking up at her.

She smiles. "Yeah, why?" She asks.

I blush furiously. "Um, no reason." I murmur, but I can't keep a grin from sneaking onto my features.

Delly gasps and nudges me. "I won't believe it! Nope! Nuh-uh! You're not a fangirl, are you?"

I shake my head, though slightly shocked that the people here know the word "fangirl."

Grinning, she pulls me up, then pulls up her sleeve and checks her schedule. "It's almost 7:30! Let's go!" She skips over to Nathans bed and pulls him up as well.

"Where are we going, exactly?" I ask as she drags us out of the room.

Delly's grin gets bigger, if possible. "Dinner, of course! I sit with Finnick and Katniss and everyone. It'll be a perfect time to introduce you!" She exclaims.

"Uhm..." I murmur, biting my lip.

She just rolls her eyes and drags me to the elevator. By the time we get to the cafeteria, there are more than a few people there, and Nathan leaves to go sit with his friends.

"Ah, no! He's abandoning me! Delly! Make him stay! I don't want to be the only awkward person sitting there!" I say, shaking Delly frantically. It's too loud in the room for anyone else to hear me, so I'm glad I can be as loud as I want.

Delly just laughs, brushes me off, and leads me to the line so that we can get our food. I have to tell the woman at the counter that I haven't gotten a schedule yet, and she asks me for my age and weight, and then places small portions on my tray. I'm not hungry, anyway.

"Come on." Delly says. She walks ahead of me and I trail slowly behind her.

When we get to the table, I get a clear view of everyone. I am immediately able to place them by their features.

A woman with long brown hair who looks a bit distracted. Annie Cresta.

A muscular man with bronze hair sitting next to Annie. Finnick Odair.

A boy around my age with the Seam look sitting next to Katniss. Gale Hawthorne.

A middle-aged man sitting next to Finnick. Haymitch Abernanthy.

The others at the table are a mix. Some are easy to place, like Posy Hawthorne, Octavia, Flavius, and Venia. The others seem like a blur of various characters who aren't mentioned very much in the trilogy.

Dellly immediately leads me to the head of the table, and I groan inwardly. _She's going to introduce me, isn't she?_

I was right. When we reach the head, she clears her throat and says in a clear voice, "Everyone, this is Catherine Montgomery, from District Eight."

I awkwardly poke my head out from behind Delly, and say, "Uh, hi, nice to meet you all." _Smooth one._ I think.

I expect to have everyone just go back to their meals, but people start introducing themselves to me. Most of the people at the table are survivors from twelve.

Delly seats me next to little Posy, who is smiling at me. "Hi!" She says enthusiastically. "I'm Posy! This is my brother Gale!" She says, nudging Gale, who is sitting next to her.

"It's nice to meet you, Posy." I say, grinning. I lift my eyes to Gale, who's eyeing me as if he doesn't know what to think of me.

Eventually, he lifts his hand. "Nice to meet you, Catherine. I'm Gale Hawthorne." He says. I shake his hand calmly. I never really trusted Gale, and the bombing of the Capitol children and the murder of Prim just installed a bit of anger towards his character. "I found you in the woods while I was with Katniss. You know, you don't look so bad. You would've died in the forest if you didn't have that bow of yours." He says.

My eyes widen. "Bow? I have a-" I gather my words when his eyes flash with suspicion. "M- my bow is here? I didn't see it when I woke up."

"Yes, well, only soldiers are allowed weapons." He says, shrugging. "They confiscated it."

I frown. _That's right! Katniss' bow was confiscated as well. _"Oh." I murmur, and begin poking at my food.

"You look a lot like Katniss." Posy says, grinning up at me.

I smile. "Yes, I've heard that before." I say.

Posy motions for me to lean down, so I do, my right ear in her direction. She cups my ear in her hands and whispers, "But I think you're a little prettier that her."

I giggle, and lift my head up from Posy's tiny hands. "Nah, I don't think so." I say.

Posy yawns, and looks up at Hazelle, whose sitting across from her. "Mommy, I'm tired." She says sleepily.

Hazelle smiles gently at her. "Just wait a moment sweetheart, your brothers aren't finished eating yet." She says.

Posy pouts. "But can Catherine bring me back?" She asks, clinging onto my sleeve.

"No, no. Catherine can't bring you back. Just wait a little." Hazelle says, smiling at me.

I shake my head. "It's fine, Mrs. Hawthorne. I can bring Posy back, no problem." I say.

"Really? Because you don't have to. I can-"

I cut her off. "Really, Mrs. Hawthorne. It's fine." I stand up from my seat, and lift Posy so that she's balanced on my hip.

"Alright then." She says. "We're compartment 326. Thank you, Catherine."

I smile. "Again, it's no problem, Mrs. Hawthorne. And please, call me Cat." I say, placing Posy's tray on top of mine.


	4. Chapter 4

**WHOOP! First authors note! **

**Hi guys. So, some people sent me messages and reviewed and stuff about how "Catherine is too much like Katniss." Or, "Catherine is too multi-talented." I knew this already, [the too much like Katniss bit] there is no need to inform me. Just so all of you don't have any hissy fits, Catherine's character develops during the story, so eventually, their differences will begin to show. Their likenesses will also play a part as the story goes on, no need to worry. Now, for "Catherine is too multi-talented" just so you know, I modeled Catherine a bit after myself, mostly, meaning that I have all the talents Catherine has. I just can't play the chello. I can play the Ukulele though! Alright. Back to the story.**

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><p><strong>A Dandelion In The Spring - Chapter Four<strong>

_"Alright then." She says. "We're compartment 326. Thank you, Catherine."_

_I smile. "Again, it's no problem, Mrs. Hawthorne. And please, call me Cat." I say, placing Posy's tray on top of mine._

I take the trays to the disposal and place them on top of the trash can, Posy still balanced on my hip.

"Catherine, how old are you?" Posy asks.

"Seventeen." I reply, smiling.

"When's your birthday?"

"H- October thirty-first." I remember that the people of Panem probably have no idea what Halloween is.

We continue our walk to her family's compartment like this, Posy asking me questions, me, replying in short, quick answers. When we get to the door of compartment 326, instead of having all the inhabitants listed on the door, it just says **"****Compartment 326. Occupants: The Hawthorne Family. Family 1098."**

I move hand from Posy's back and turn the doorknob. Compartment 326 isn't much different from compartment 305. There are only more beds, and the room is a bit bigger.

"My bed is over there." Posy says, pointing to a bed in the middle.

I nod, and walk over to the bed, sitting her on the white sheets. I calmly do what I used to do to my younger sister. I unlace her shoes, place them beside the bed, peel off her socks, stuff them into the right shoe, and tuck her in.

I'm about to stand when Posy grabs my hand. "Catherine, stay please?" She asks sweetly. I settle onto the bed across from her, and nod.

"Sing me a lullaby?" She asks, and again, I nod, unable to speak.

Posy reminds me too much of my sister. The sister that I had left in my old home, without an older sister to keep her company while we wait for our mother to come back from her thoughts. My sister, Cecilia, whose sweet young voice would no longer be there to ask me to get her juice because she was thirsty, or change the channel because she wasn't aloud to watch Pretty Little Liars, or sing her a lullaby because she couldn't fall asleep.

I clear my throat, which is tight with pain, and begin the gentle notes of Cecilia's favorite lullaby.

_"Once there was a way to get back homeward  
>Once there was a way to get back home<br>Sleep pretty darling do not cry  
>And I will sing a lullaby<em>

_Golden slumbers fill your eyes_  
><em>Smiles awake you when you rise<em>  
><em>Sleep pretty darling do not cry<em>  
><em>And I will sing a lullaby<em>

_Once there was a way to get back homeward_  
><em>Once there was a way to get back home<em>  
><em>Sleep pretty darling do not cry<em>..._"_

Now I can barely hold up, because Posy's angelic face, her eyes closed, hiding the color of her eyes, her pale red hair, darkened to near black by the shadows and fanned across the white pillow begins to look like Cecilia.

I find myself unable to finish the song.

Then Posy's breathing has evened, her body relaxed, her mind drifting in the cloud of a dream. And it takes all my strength to relax when I think of the last time I sang that lullaby to Cecilia.

_It was about a month ago. The New York sky was grey with rain clouds, and the sound of the large droplets slamming against the window kept Cecilia awake. At around 1:30, I was at my desk, studying for algebra finals, singing softly to a song which was playing too low for our mother to hear, when she came in and shook my shoulder, telling me that she couldn't sleep._

_"I can't do anything right now, Cece, I have to study." I said, making shooing motions with my hands._

_She pouted. "But Cat, the rain is keeping me up. And the bad things might come out while I'm awake."_

_I sighed. Cecilia was always afraid of terrifying things that even I was afraid of, because she insisted on watching horror films with my friends and I._

_ "Alright." I said, standing from my chair and holding out my hand. She grabbed it, and I pulled her up onto my hip. I quickly snatched my teddy bear from my bed, the one I had since I was a baby, and handed it to her._

_"First," I said. "We have to get you some milk. But we gotta be super quiet so mummy doesn't here us, alright?" I had a habit of saying certain words like mum or mummy in a British accent, because I had practiced so hard on it for a play in which I had the role of a young girl from Liverpool. The accent had rubbed off on me a bit. Cecilia nodded, zipping up her lips and placing the key in my shirt pocket._

_I tiptoed quietly to the kitchen cabinets, which hung above the sink, and carefully pulled out a mug. Then, I walked to the fridge and pulled out milk, pouring it into the mug and spooning a teaspoon of cinnamon into it, stirring so as not to hit the sides of the mug._

_I handed the milk to Cecelia and carried her to her room, placing her on the bed and tucking her in. She cradled the teddy bear gently in her arms._

_"Sing Golden Slumbers?" She asked, looking up at me. She knows almost everything about The Beatles, so she always asked me to sing that song when she needed me to._

I'm woken from my daydream when Hazelle walks in, and I blink back the tears that were building up along the rim of my eyes.

"Wow, you got her to sleep? It takes forever to do that." She whispers.

I smile. "I sang her a lullaby and she knocked right out." I whisper back. Gale and the rest of the Hawthornes walk in, and I stand from the bed. "I- uh, I guess I'll be going."

Just as I brush past Gale, he stops me. "Thanks. For taking Posy over here." He says, scratching the back of his neck.

I give him a tight smile and nod. "No problem."


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello, dear readers! I would just like all of you to know, I will be making this into a series! My first series EVER! Now, something for you to know. If you enjoy things like Avatar: The Last Airbender, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and some other things that might be of interest to you, you may wish to subscribe to me as an author. Catherine will be used as a character in quite a few stories. The second installment of "The Connection Series" [Pretty cool, right? It sounds sort of cheesy though...] is currently in development. Anyways, you'll understand that title along the next few chapters. Let us continue with the story!**

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><p><strong>A Dandelion in the Spring - Chapter 5<strong>

_Just as I brush past Gale, he stops me. "Thanks. For taking Posy over here." He says, scratching the back of his neck._

_I give him a tight smile and nod. "No problem."_

* * *

><p>That night, I have a dream. I am standing in the middle of a clearing. A woman stands in front of me, but I can't quite make out her features. Then I realize something.<p>

I can't make out her features because they are constantly changing.

First, she looks like Katniss, then she looks like other girls. Then I realize something else. All the girls she looks like are all characters from different books and shows. She is animated, then normal, then animated again. The only thing that stays the same is her white and gold dress that falls to her feet, trailing behind her in the grass.

"What is..." I begin, staring at her. "Who are you?"

Katniss, Hermione, Annabeth, whoever she is, smiles at me. "I am someone important. Someone who will teach you how to be you. I go by many names, many looks, many personalities. Although I prefer to be called Anastasia. I quite like that name." She says, walking toward me. Her voice stays the same as well. It is light and graceful, like the way she walks.

"What- what am I doing here? And what do you mean, teach me how to be me?" I ask, backing away.

She stops. "You are here to know your purpose in the world." Then she narrows her eyes as if in thought. "No, the worlds. You are the_ Connection_, the peacekeeper, the link between your world and the others. You have abilities. Abilities that will be told to you in time. Important abilities that you must use in order to keep the cosmos from falling apart. I have waited very long for you to come along, Catherine." She says.

"The connection?" I ask, furrowing my brows. _What on Earth is this woman talking about?_

"Yes, yes, the connection. Almost like the Avatar, but on a much higher scale." She says. "You _do_ enjoy watching The Last Airbender, correct?"

I nod.

"Excellent! I need you in there as well." She exclaims, clasping her hands together and pressing them to her mouth.

A beeping fills the air. I look up, seeing birds flying away from their trees.

"Ah." Anastasia says, looking up as well. "It seems like it is time for you to go! I shall see you tonight, Catherine. All will be explained then."

A line, almost the fineness of a thread, whips out, creating a barrier between us. Then, the line thickens, and we are pulled apart, almost like a page being turned away from another.

* * *

><p>I wake with a start.<p>

I sit up, examining the room before me. Delly and Nathan are already slipping into their uniforms. I glare at the grey material folded neatly at the edge of my bed, crawl over to it, and examine it.

"You know, if you don't wear it, you'll be in loads of trouble." Delly says, smiling at me.

I sigh, and pick it up, walking into the bathroom, where a white toothbrush and comb sit on a shelf with my name printed neatly in black on each. I carefully examine my face in the mirror. My black hair is loose and a bit wavy from tangles, and it falls to my lower back. I clutch the comb tightly in my hand and run it through my hair, the smooth strands becoming nice and straight. My fringe traces the left side of my face, a light wave curling it away from my grey eyes. I recall to mind how things should be going at home. Today is a Thursday, the clock says it is six-thirty. Cecilia is probably getting ready for school now, hoping that I show up.

I brush my teeth and take off my clothes, getting ready to put on my uniform. I turn and crane my neck around so that I can see my bare back in the mirror. The tattoo of a wolf's face that I had begged my mother to let me get for my sixteenth birthday is still there. Black and detailed. Whenever I see it I remember how it was worth driving all the way to Canada for it.

I pull on my uniform, frowning. The long sleeves are baggy, so I roll them up to my elbows. After making sure I look presentable, I walk out of the bathroom and see Delly sitting on her bed, waiting for me.

She looks up, and a smile comes across her face. "You're leaving your hair down!" She exclaims.

I smile. "Well, for now at least. Now how do I get that schedule thingy on my arm? Sounds cool."

Delly points to a machine in the wall. "Stick your arm in there and it'll print it out."

"Bleh. It looks like it's going to amputate me." I murmur, but oblige anyway, placing my arm into the wall. It makes a few beeps and the sounds that normal printers make, then I feel something moving against my arm.

"EUGH. It feels gross." I say, grimacing. Delly laughs, and the machine stops. I pull it out and stare at my schedule.

_7:00 - Breakfast_

_7:30 - Education Center, Room 19._

_8:30 - Hospitality_

I grin, guessing that Hospitality stands for visiting Peeta. I continue to read my schedule until I come across something that catches my attention.

_17:00 - Command_

"What?" I say, pulling my arm closer to my eyes, making sure that what I see is real. There it is though, the purple ink clearly states Command.

Delly moves towards me. "Cat? What's wrong?"

"Uh, it says Command." I murmur. Then, remembering that I shouldn't know what that is, I look up at her, frowning. "Isn't that the place you were saying that I might get called to? Command, right? What is it?"

Delly tilts her head. "Not sure, exactly. It deals with politics. Planning for the Rebels, keeping Thirteen in order..." She says.

I look at my arm again. "Cool. Do you know why they would want me there?"

She shrugs. "You popped up out of nowhere. Maybe they're just gonna ask you what's going on in Eight."

"I don't know what's going on in Eight though. I've been in the woods for weeks!" I say, facepalming and trying to keep my smile off my face. _No improv for you today, bruh._

"Hey, it's alright. It's not like they'll kill you for not knowing what's going on in Eight." She says, rubbing my back.

_Oh, Delly. _I think, frowning. _If only you knew that they probably will._

Delly tugs me towards the door, and I follow. "Come on, let's get breakfast."

* * *

><p>We walk to the elevator, chatting about how I'm liking Thirteen. I attempt to tell Delly that it's only my second day here, but she keeps asking. I don't mind, of course, but I haven't gotten to really see the place.<p>

Once we get to breakfast, I can scan my schedule, and I get all the food I need. It's the same amount as yesterday, except that it's breakfast food.

The lady at the counter smiles at me. "You're gonna need to get a check up, hun. It's on your schedule, see?" She points at 18:00 on my arm. "You have to head to the hospital right after..." She falters. "Command."

I nod, pretending not to notice her pause, say thank you, and walk to the table I sat at yesterday. The only open seat is next to Finnick, right in front of Delly, who's smiling and wiggling her eyebrows. I roll my eyes, and take the seat.

Finnick looks at me, and smiles. "Hi, I don't think I introduced myself yesterday. Although you probably know who I am." He holds out his hand and I shake it.

"Yep, never thought I would have the _honor _of meeting Finnick Odair." I say, a bit sarcastically, pulling my hand away. "Catherine Montgomery, from Eight. You can call me Cat, though."

"Well then, nice to meet you, Cat. You can call me Finn." He says, his eyes fixed on my right forearm. "Does that-" He falters for a moment. "Does that say Command?" He asks, a quizzical look striking his features.

I lift my arm. "Uh, yeah. Not sure why they want me there." I murmur, frowning.

"Huh." He says. "So how are you liking Thirteen?" He asks.

"Eh. It's alright. Much safer than Eight, just, less freedom." I murmur. He gives me an odd look. "Uh, not that the Capitol gives us much freedom, but I would like to get some fresh air once in a while, or do something fun. Like play some musical instruments or something. Everything is too organized for me." I say, frowning.

"Yeah, I know how you feel. I'd like to go swimming or something. Do something other than what I'm told to do." He smiles at me. "You play musical instruments?"

I shrug. "Yep. Guitar, piano, cello. I sing, too."

"Really? That sounds pretty neat. You must have a lot of money." He murmurs.

I smile. "No, not really. It's a long story."

After that, Finnick and I chat for a bit. I glance at Katniss, who is giving me an odd look, so I look elsewhere, and realize that Annie isn't here. _Awww shit. _I think. _Katniss probably thinks I'm trying to get to Finn's sugar cubes._

I take a look at the clock on the wall. _7:25. I gotta go. _"Uh, Finn," I say, interrupting his story about how he learned to tie knots. "I gotta head to the Education Center. I'm gonna be late. See you later though!" I stand, taking my tray with me, and walk quickly towards the door.

Once I toss the things on my tray into the trash, I look up, and see Delly standing in front of me.

"Holy-" I say, steeping back. "Oh my God that was terrifying. Don't sneak up on me bro." I say, letting out a breath.

Delly gives me a quizzical look and tilts her head a bit. "Bro?" She asks.

"Uh, it's an abbreviation for brother." I mutter, remembering that I'm not in 2012.

"But I'm not your brother..." She says. I shrug in return.

"Whatever, I have to get to the Education Center!" I say, walking past her, then stopping. "I have no idea where the Education Center is."

Delly laughs and grabs my hand, leading me to wherever I'm supposed to be going.

* * *

><p>Nuclear History was simple enough, a mere jumble nuclear threats that I knew of, and wars that have yet to happen back home. Then was normal history, during which I found myself thrown out of class due to constantly correcting the teacher.<p>

I stand in the hall, pacing, huffing, and muttering things under my breath. "Pff. Stupid teacher. Stupid District Thirteen. Stupid wrong history of the United States."

Seeing no point in continuing to pace, I lean against the wall, crossing my arms angrily. After cooling off, I realize how bored I am, and do the only thing I can do. Play music in my head. That's something I do quite often when I'm bored. It usually leads to singing. Either that, or daydream about celebrities.

So I find myself singing.

__"___Strange hands taking my wrist again_

_Somehow I'm still alone_  
><em>Voices shaking my steps again<em>  
><em>I follow<em>

_I'm a little bit on the edge_  
><em>Holed up and out of reach<em>  
><em>I can't hear much of what you said<em>  
><em>Come for me<em>

_Don't let me tumble away_  
><em>Into the throes of the shadowy bay<em>  
><em>I cling to the rock<em>  
><em>And it's crumbling off<em>  
><em>Toss me a heavy rope<em>  
><em>It's a slippery slope<em>  
><em>Come bail me out of this God forsaken precipice<em>  
><em>Come bail me out of this God forsaken precipice<em>

_Turned up in this old place again_  
><em>Can't seem to get away<em>  
><em>Take me back to my element<em>  
><em>I'm afraid<em>

_Don't let me tumble away_  
><em>Into the throes of the shadowy bay<em>  
><em>I cling to the rock<em>  
><em>And it's crumbling off<em>  
><em>Toss me a heavy rope<em>  
><em>It's a slippery slope<em>  
><em>Come bail me out of this God forsaken precipice<em>  
><em>Come bail me out of this God forsaken precipice<em>

_Oh, I'm not a lost cause_  
><em>I'm just stuck in this spot<em>  
><em>And I'm close to falling off<em>  
><em>So toss me a heavy rope<em>  
><em>It's a slippery slope<em>  
><em>Come bail me out of this God forsaken precipice<em>  
><em>Come bail me out of this God forsaken precipice<em>

_Don't let me tumble away_  
><em>Into the throes of the shadowy bay<em>  
><em>I cling to the rock<em>  
><em>And it's crumbling off<em>  
><em>Toss me a heavy rope<em>  
><em>It's a slippery slope<em>_"_

I sigh, sinking into a sitting position. I look at the ceiling, singing the last lines.

_"Come bail me out of this God forsaken precipice._

_Come bail me out of this God forsaken precipice._

_Come bail me out of this God forsaken precipice._

_Come bail me out of this God forsaken precipice."_

I press my hands into my forehead. "How the hell am I supposed to get out of this book?" I mutter.

* * *

><p><strong>DONE! Yay! Sorry if Catherine seems a bit Mary-Sue-ish. I really don't want her to be a Mary-Sue. That would just be AWFUL. Again, since Catherine is kinda sorta me, that's how I act in real life. The song used in this chapter was Heavy Rope by Lights. I DON'T OWN IT GUYS! If I did, do you really think I would be writing fanfiction right now?<strong>


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